A next generation ATE switching solution: As applied by Rockwell Collins

Switching and interface systems in Automated Test Equipment (ATE) have traditionally used cable systems to interface test instrumentation to a Device under Test (DUT), through a box of switches, which often led to interwoven cables at the station DUT interface. These cables often require parameter characterization, degrade over time and maintenance performed on one signal wire frequently results in collateral damage and/or the need to verify the others. In high mix, low volume test environments, such as military depots, flexibility of the test station Input/output (I/O) map to handle multiple signal technologies, as well as products with few to hundreds of I/O pins are required. Historically, the ATE designer spends significant hours designing the cables and choosing the switch cards to obtain the desired solution. The need to reduce design and development time, diagnostic and maintenance costs over the life cycle of the ATE led to the concept of the ATE transmission, which takes the ATE resources and routes them directly to the DUT. By using a transmission, the concept of a software defined ATE I/O map becomes realized. This paper describes the benefits of using a test station transmission, or switching instrument, to reduce the total life cycle costs in ATE.